Being a tech-journalist sometimes makes me feel like James Bond: By checking and sending messages through smartphones or other devices, navigating through unknown areas or secretly taking pictures with miniature cameras, I feel that all these gadgets were actually born in some secret lab of the MI5. Now, it seems that Q also thought of a cool vehicle for wannabe-agents.
It’s not a car. And also not a motorbike. In fact, it’s something completely unique. Let me show you a pic out of the test lab:
The Piaggio MP3 Hybrid has three wheels in total, which makes a ride more stable than on a conventional motorbike. Also, it stands stable on it’s three wheels when you are waiting at a red traffic light – which gives you the opportunity to lift up your legs and/or kick some bad guys in the butt.
But that’s not new, Piaggio introduced the first „MP3“ several years ago. The cool novelty is: This three-wheeler is a hybrid.
Which basically means that you can switch from a regular petrol-powered engine to an electrically powered movement. The alternative engine will only get you to a speed of roughly 30 km/h; but the true asset is the fact that the electrical engine is completely silent. This will help you to secretly sneak up on the enemy’s agents – yesterday, I actually scared some cyclists on Mariahilfer Straße by suddenly appeared next to them, out of the nowhere.
Also, the electrical engine gives the three-wheeled MP3 the ability to drive backwards. I used it mainly to more easily get out of parking lots, but proper secret agents probably have a better use for this technology. Run over villains probably? Who knows.
So, in conclusion: If you want to found your own secret service, this might be the right tool to start with (in addition to a fancy smartphone, a tablet and probably also a gun). All you need is the spare money of roughly 9000 Euros.